Catholic Association Pilgrimage News
This year the Pastoral Theme for Lourdes is With Bernadette, Praying the Rosary.
The Catholic Association Pilgrimage offers some thoughts on the theme in the Pilgrimage booklet and our website, but as this will not be till later in the year, the CA web team would like to share some early ideas.
The rosary is a popular devotion, and in addition to meditating on the mysteries, it is normal to say the rosary for a particular intention. How often do you pray the rosary? Why not try it this month?
If you are already confused, have a look at these pages of our website, which will provide some guidance:
http://www.catholicassociation.co.uk/spirituality/sayrosary.shtml and http://www.catholicassociation.co.uk/spirituality/rosaryabout.shtml
Given this year's theme, we are inviting our fellow pilgrims to pray the rosary for their bishops and priests. Our clergy need all the support that they can get as the tide of secularism increases, and many of them found the prayers during the Year for Priests (2009/2010) very helpful.
There is even a handy site where one can sign up and get reminders to pray for one's bishop:
http://rosaryforthebishop.org/
Let us know how your devotion has gone, or if you have any further thoughts, please let us know below…
CA web team
News from the Catholic Association Trustees
New appointments to the Pilgrimage Management Team
Chief Nurse
As advised in the recent Hospitalité Newsletter, Rachel Easton has been confirmed as Chief Nurse and will be in this role for the 2012 pilgrimage. If you know any nurses who are interested in joining the Pilgrimage, please pass them Rachel's contact details - chief_nurse@catholicassociation.co.uk
Chaplain to the Sick & CA Hospitalité
The newsletter also contained the news of the appointment of Fr Antony Lester, O.Carm as Chaplain to the Sick and to the Hospitalité.
Young Helpers’ Group Leaders
Shortly before Christmas, Becky Banfield regretfully informed the Trustees that she was unable to take on the role of Leader of the Young Helpers Group. Luckily David and Judy Ball, who live in
David and Judy are well known to the Pilgrimage, and have been coming to
Tangney Tours were very flexible, and held back from printing the Pilgrimage Brochure while these arrangements were finalised. Those of you who travel with Tangney Tours should receive the CA Pilgrimage brochure and booking form in the next few days.
Music Group
Before they knew about this new role, Judy had already advised the CA Trustees that she wanted to step down as Director of Music after the 2012 pilgrimage. This role will be taken by Catherine Christmas of Portsmouth Diocese, who has been part of the music group for several years. She will work closely with Judy during 2012 to enable a smooth transition, and take overall responsibility from the end of the year.
And finally - Ian Hatfield stepped down as East Anglia Diocesan Director at the end of the 2011 Pilgrimage. This role will now be taken by two
Contact details for all members of the management team can be found here.
The Trustees would like to thank all these people who are volunteering their time to organise various aspects of the Pilgrimage, and we welcome them all to the management team.
The Hospitalité Newsletter is now available online for you to download and print out.
The hard copies through the post have started to arrive already. If you do not receive your copy through the post within three weeks and you have previously requested one, or you have moved / changed your name in the last 12 months please email me with your details as soon as possible, as our records on file for you may be incorrect / out of date.
Equally if you no longer wish to receive your hard copy through the post, or prefer to read online / print it out yourself please email me to confirm your decision. Printing the Newsletter out yourself, not only means you can print it out in colour, but of course it saves the CA Hospitalité a lot of money which means money can be better spent on other things.
This year’s newsletter has articles on our 2011 Lourdes theme, the Our Father; a wonderful reflection by Bishop Crispian; plus an article by Lourdes stalwart Nell Atkin on her experiences of travelling to Lourdes as an Assisted Pilgrim for the first time.
Our thanks go to all our contributors, including the Heads of Service and the Young Helper's Group Leader.
We look forward to seeing as many of you at the AGM (11 Feb 20112 – Sawston, see newsletter for details) as possible.
We hope you enjoy it.
God Bless,
Nimal Hemelge
Please keep Denise and her family in your prayers.
...Rupert Bell and Insa on the birth of their daughter Franziska. She was born today in Munich weighing 3,37kg and was 53 cm long.
...Mary (nee Dujardin) and Shane Edwards on the birth of their son Charlie James. He was born today at 5.33am, weighing 3.43kg.
Dr Derek Bedford died last Friday evening in Reigate Hospital about 7pm as a resulting of a worsening of a heart condition that has troubled him for some time. His family were with him when he died, and Sr Maureen had managed to visit him a few days ago.
Dr Derek Bedford has been a great supporter of the CA Pilgrimage for many, many years and is a friend to many people. He assisted Sr Maureen for a number of years in working with the hotel APs. He will be greatly missed by all his friends.
Ellen Davis (on the right hand side of photo), who was an Assisted Pilgrim on our pilgrimage, died on 2 October at a nursing home.
Ellen was a great supporter of the Carmelites and the parish of English Martyrs, Walworth. Having joined our pilgrimage in 2008, she was admitted to the Catholic Association Hospitalité as a prayer member in 2009, and was on our 2010 pilgrimage.
Sadly she was too unwell to join us this year, but always had a special fondness for Lourdes, and we remembered her in prayer at the Grotto.
Please keep Ellen and her family in your prayers.
May Ellen rest in peace, and rise in glory.
From: Johan Bergstrom-Allen, Matt Betts, Stephen Daly, Dail Maudsley, and Sadie Vile If you would like to support us in fundraising for future projects like this, and also to catch up with many people you met in Lourdes, please join us for our "First Birthday Celebration" on 22nd October 2011 in London. Our event will include music, raffle, a fully stocked bar, food, and much more, and will take place at the famous St Bride's Hall in the City of London, close to the historic area of Fleet Street and the famous St Paul’s Cathedral. If you would like to attend, please book your tickets before 1st October 2011 and they will cost just £15 each. You can purchase tickets online here:http://www.bmycharity.com/1stBirthday.
Have a look at our Facebook event page and say you're coming along: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=205842466133693 We look forward to seeing you there!
More information: www.livingbygivingtrust.com
Please pray for Bishop Crispian Hollis, Portsmouth who has been diagnosed with bowel cancer...
From the Catholic Herald.co.uk
"Bishop Crispian Hollis of Portsmouth has announced in a letter to his clergy that he has been diagnosed with bowel cancer.
The 74-year-old bishop, who is soon to retire, had been diagnosed with the disease after a CT scan in mid-June at the Queen Alexandria Hospital, Portsmouth.
Bishop Hollis said the scan had revealed a cancer “which is probably malignant”. A biopsy and MRI scan will be carried out in early August, he said.
He has said that he would still hope to join the diocesan pilgrimage to Lourdes from August 21 to 27."
The CA Hospitalité is extremely sad to announce that Bishop Michael Evans (East Anglia) has passed away after a very brave fight against cancer. May he Rest in Peace and rise in glory. The CA Hospitalité extends its condolences to Bishop Michael's family, friends and his diocese.
From BBC News (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-14118153):
The Right Reverend Michael Evans, the Catholic Bishop of East Anglia, has died in hospital at the age of 59 after a long battle with prostate cancer.
He was diagnosed with an advanced and aggressive strain in 2005 but continued his ministry throughout his treatment.
The leader of Catholics in Suffolk, Cambridgeshire, Peterborough and Norfolk carried out limited engagements as his condition deteriorated.
He continued to work until his admission to hospital last Thursday.
Canon Evans was appointed the third bishop of East Anglia in February 2003 by Pope John Paul II and was ordained at the Cathedral of St John the Baptist, Norwich, in March of that year.
He was previously parish priest at St Augustine's in Tunbridge Wells, Kent.
On his appointment Canon Evans said: "I was astonished to be appointed as Bishop of East Anglia, and have a real sense of my unworthiness for this responsibility, but I accepted this new ministry with a joyful though nervous 'yes'."
Seminary teacherHe became well known throughout the diocese for his teaching and set up an annual adult religious education programme.
He was ordained a priest for the Archdiocese of Southwark in 1975, and spent two years as assistant priest at St Elizabeth's in Richmond, Surrey.
From 1977-1979 he studied for a Master of Theology degree at Heythrop College, University of London, and then returned to St John's Seminary for eight years as lecturer in Christian doctrine.
From 1985-1987 he was Vice-Rector at the seminary, with the then Monsignor Peter Smith (later the second Bishop of East Anglia, and now Archbishop of Southwark) as Rector.
A statement from the Diocese of East Anglia is expected to be made later.
PS:
Archbishop Peter Smith said: "I have no doubt that he [Bishop Michael] will be greeted by the Lord he served so faithfully, with the words: ‘Well done good and faithful servant, enter into the Kingdom prepared for you."
Please visit: http://tinyurl.com/69z83r2 for full statement.In addition, please do visit a recent interview with Bishop Michael Evans which took place after Easter 2011 in which he talked about his illness, and about finding hope in times of adversity: http://www.dayforlife.org/Day-for-Life/Video
The CA Hospitalité is extremely sad to announce that Mrs Bella Borlase-Hendry has passed away.
She died at 10am this morning on Thursday 19th May, very peacefully in the Nursing Home in Bath. She was 91.
...Catherine Hobday and James Astley on their recent wedding in Much Hadham, Hertfordshire. The couple were surrounded by lots of family and friends.
